


Mind How You Go

by neveralarch



Category: Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch
Genre: Gen, London Underground
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-19 23:14:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13134219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neveralarch/pseuds/neveralarch
Summary: There's a woman at Finchley Road. Jaget passes through the station most days, changing lines on his way home. The woman's not always there, but he sees her more often than not.





	Mind How You Go

**Author's Note:**

  * For [originally](https://archiveofourown.org/users/originally/gifts).



> Happy yuletide, originally! I haven't had a chance to read Furthest Station yet, so hopefully this still fits with the canon :)

There's a woman at Finchley Road. Jaget passes through the station most days, changing lines on his way home. The woman's not always there, but he sees her more often than not.

She's white, with dirty brown hair and freckles covering her nose and cheekbones. She wears light patterned dresses in the summer, and thick skirts and heavy wool coats in the winter. She has a tendency to lean out across the tracks to look for the next train, which is why Jaget noticed her in the first place. You only have to see one accident before you start trying like mad to prevent them.

"Mind how you go," he'll say, in his best imitation of a genial BBC cop. The woman will turn and smile her broad condescending smile at him, and go back to watching the tracks. Jaget's watched her until he's almost missed his connection, but he's never seen her actually get on a train.

There's something fizzy about her. Something cold and crystal that rasps against Jaget's brain. Today it's bothering him more than most, so he gets out his phone and texts Grant.

**JK** : are there weird magic ppl on the tube

**PG** : Probably

**PG** : Everyone has to get somewhere somehow

Jaget rolls his eyes.

**JK** : are there weird magic ppl who are PART of the tube

**PG** : Dunno. Probably

**JK** : how do i find out???

**PG** : Ask someone who knows about magic people and the tube

"That's what I'm trying to do," mutters Jaget, but obviously Grant is useless. He looks at the woman again, the tips of her toes resting on the edge of the platform. He takes his yellow vest out of his bag and puts it on, because he's certainly not doing this looking like a member of the public.

"Excuse me," says Jaget, once he's close enough to be heard without being overheard. "I'm Sergeant Jaget Kumar, British Transport Police. I was wondering if you're some kind of magical person who lives in Finchley Road station?"

The woman turns and blinks at him. Her smile is just as broad this time, but not nearly as condescending. "I don't _live_ here."

"But the rest of it?" asks Jaget.

The woman offers her hand. "Mrs. Page." Her hand is like ice as Jaget takes it, and something not quite unpleasant scrapes over Jaget's awareness again.

"Are you part of the station?" asks Jaget. "Or the whole Jubilee line?" He doesn't think she belongs to the Metropolitan line, somehow.

Mrs. Page laughs. "Oh, I'm older than that." She leans in, and her breath ghosts against his cheek. "There were glaciers, once."

The train screeches into station, and Jaget takes a step back from the edge. Mrs. Page lets go of his hand.

"A pleasure to meet you, Sergeant Kumar," she says. "I'll follow your career with interest. Good evening."

She steps onto the train, and Jaget watches the doors close. She doesn't wave as it pulls away.

It's two minutes after the train's gone that Jaget realizes he'll have to take the next one home.


End file.
